NLL

Rock Top Swarm to Clinch Home Playoff Game

from Press Release

ST. PAUL, MN – The Toronto Rock (9-9)
defeated the Minnesota Swarm (4-14) by a score of 8-6 at the Xcel
Energy Center in St. Paul, Minnesota to conclude the regular
season.

Prior to the conclusion of the Rock's victory over the Swarm,
Toronto had received the help they were looking for as the
Rochester Knighthawks held on to defeat the Buffalo Bandits 16-14.
This meant, the Toronto win gave the Rock home floor advantage in
their first round, single elimination, East Division Semi-Final
playoff game against Buffalo next weekend.

Stephan Leblanc carried the hot stick in the early going as he
scored both of Toronto's opening quarter goals. Minnesota
super-rookie Logan Schuss had the lone marker for the Swarm as the
visiting Rock held a 2-1 lead after one quarter.

The Swarm tied things early in the second quarter with Kiel
Matisz striking on the powerplay. Leblanc scored an extra-man goal
of his own to complete the first half hat-trick and restore the
Rock's lead. Just seven seconds after that goal, Rock rookie Ethan
O'Connor picked up a loose ball off the faceoff and ran in
unscathed scoring to put Toronto up 4-2.

The third quarter belonged to the Rock and proved to the be the
difference in the game. Toronto scored three times just 3:02 into
the quarter, the goals coming just 1:22 apart. Josh Sanderson, Rob
Hellyer and Kasey Beirnes connected with the Sanderson tally coming
on the powerplay.

Minnesota chipped away at the Rock lead in the fourth quarter,
outscoring Toronto 4-1 in the final frame. Nick Diachenko's early
goal had stretched the Rock lead to 6 goals and the Swarm were just
never able to recover.

Toronto goaltender Brandon Miller made 47 saves in the Rock goal
to earn his 3rd win in a Rock uniform.

Leblanc (3 goals, 1 assist) and Hellyer (1 goal, 3 assists) each
had four-point games to lead all Rock scorers.

The Rock will host the Buffalo Bandits on Saturday, May 3rd in
the NLL East Division Semi-Final and tickets for the
single-elimination playoff will go on sale to the general public on
Monday morning at 10am at www.torontorock.com.